Who would have known?
by ombiasy
Summary: Draco has plans for a certain muggleborn... But things most certainly don't go the way he plans. Expect the unexpected.


Disclaimer - Well of course I own none of this, I'm sure you've heard this from countless other fanfic writers. I make no money either, poor broke me.   
The characters might go in and out of character, so if you have a problem with that, unfortunately I don't care. Reviews are welcome, even flames. lol.  
  
  
  
  
  
Draco Malfoy frowned at the cat that was wandering around the Slytherin Common room. He wondered disgustedly exactly which slytherin had brought a cat to Hogwarts. Not that he had anything against the purring, fuzzy, overly zealous beasts... except that they were purring, fuzzy, overly zealous beasts. Besides that, they made him want to sneeze.  
  
  
The cat gave him an appraising look, probably wondering if Draco would offer to pet him, or better yet, feed him. But Draco gave it a loathing glare and made a kicking motion with his foot, and the cat decided wisely enough to find a friendlier person. It turned its back on Draco and stalked away arrogantly, with that irritating little swagger that honestly should have reminded Draco of himself.  
  
  
The silence of the room then began to be an annoyance in itself. Draco frowned, trying to ignore it and continue studying his notes, but soon found it impossible. He grabbed at his parchments of notes and stalked off to the library, hoping it would not be quite so quiet as the common room. Most of the students had left for Christmas break, something he decided he should have done as well.  
  
  
The library was more occupied than the common room. Some first year students he didn't recognize sat at a table in the corner, hunched over transfiguration books and whispering to each other. A few other students of various classes and ages were also there, some he recognized and some he didn't, and in the corner someone he recognized very well.  
  
  
Hermione Granger... Muggleborn and part of the Dream Team, best friends with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley... He shot her a glare that she didn't see. Her nose was buried in a book in typical Granger fashion, and she hadn't noticed him coming in. He walked over to her table and sat down quite casually, smirking when she looked at him with vague surprise and wariness. "Find a book you haven't read yet, Granger?"  
  
  
"Sod off, Malfoy." She muttered in an almost bored tone, turning back to her book and shrugging off his presence. She acted as if he were no more than a fly buzzing about in the room, an annoyance but nothing more. The thought irritated Draco and he dropped a book on the table loudly. The librarian glared at him over her desk and Hermione looked up and rolled her eyes. "Did you want anything in particular, Malfoy? Or are you just looking for another opportunity to act like a four year old and embarrass yourself in public.. again?  
  
  
Draco glared at her. Oh, she is so irritating!! he thought to himself. He noticed her hair, formerly bushy and wild, was sleek and soft looking. A curl hung down the side of his face. He wondered vaguely why he was noticing such things and frowned, trying to glare harder. She gave him a smug look, and whispered "That's what I thought."  
  
  
For once, Draco's brilliant sarcastic wit had failed him. He gave her a dark look, trying to think of something to say, but his mind was a blank. Having enjoyed her moment, Hermione dismissed him from her mind, turning to the book again.  
  
  
"Hey Mione!" A voice called out. Draco looked up to see Potter himself walking towards their table. He gave Draco a dirty look but didn't say anything. Hermione smiled at her Gryffindor friend, motioning to an empty seat. Harry sat and whispered in a tone that he must have thought was quiet. "Is Malfoy bothering you? I can make him go away if you want."  
  
  
Draco smirked. Potter thought he could make him leave? Fat chance of that. But Hermione shook her head. "No, Harry, just leave him. He's not doing anything worth starting a fight over."   
  
  
"Alright... If you're sure." Harry gave in, looking almost disappointed. His agreement with Hermione didn't stop him from giving Draco another death glare, however, to which Draco merely smirked.   
  
  
"How was quidditch practice, then?" Hermione asked, obviously trying to distract Harry from the fact that his arch-enemy was sitting three feet away, smirking. Harry shrugged and muttered, "Fine.", eyeing Draco disgustedly. The two were both seekers for their house teams, which got along about as well as Draco and Harry did. That is to say, not at all.  
  
  
"Did you manage to catch the snitch today, without swallowing it?" Draco asked, bringing up an incident that had happened during Harry's first quidditch game, where Harry had managed to catch the snitch... in his mouth. Ancient history, yes, but still an embarrassment for Harry.   
  
  
"I dont swallow the snitch Malfoy... I catch them... unlike another seeker I unfortunately know." Harry replied, looking at Draco calmly. That was a bit unfair as Draco was a fairly decent quidditch player when he didnt let his rivalry with Harry distract him. "You should practice.... maybe next game you'll actually see the snitch."   
  
"Why don't you go fall off a broomstick?" Draco muttered.  
  
"Oh Malfoy I'm disappointed... you can do better then that..." Harry snorted. Hermione had fallen silent and was momentarily forgotten.   
"Of course I can. But you're not worth my energy right now." Draco shrugged, standing up to go. "I don't have time for scarfaced pathetic gryffindor orphans."   
  
Hermione shut her book and sighed in exasperation. She had her wand out and pointed at Draco's nose before either of the feuding males knew it. "Look." She started, staring at Draco in a way that made him feel like a five year old being put in time out. "I am trying to read. If you can't be nice, I suggest you either shut up or leave before I curse your nose into a watermelon."  
  
  
Harry snickered at the look of shock on Draco's face. Hermione narrowed her eyes in his direction, but didn't move her wand from Draco's face. She looked as if she'd love very much to see Draco with a watermelon for a nose, and there was no doubt in his mind that she could do it, too. Draco scowled and sat back, glaring at her but not bold enough to speak.   
  
  
Hermione finally lowered her wand, a look of smug satisfaction on her face. There wasn't much Draco could do now.. unable to start anything with either one of the Gryffindors for fear of the other cursing him, and unwilling to leave because of his own ego. He couldn't concede defeat to a muggleborn, not even in this smallest of battles. What options had he, then?   
  
  
He couldn't think of any, except perhaps to outwait them. He grabbed a random book off the shelf closest to him, flipping it open without looking to see what page it came to. He skimmed through the first few paragraphs without any of it sinking in. The only things in his mind were wishes of ill will towards the witch that sat across from him smugly. His eyes settled on a paragraph about half way down the page, and he read it several times before he comprehended it fully.  
  
  
"I decided there was only one way to repay the man who had destroyed my family." The woman confessed, her face weary but holding a strange light of savage satisfaction. Victory. "He didn't know me, you know. He didn't have any idea of my connection with the Entrer's. It was so simple to make him fall in love with me."  
  
  
Not quite the same situation, Draco decided, glancing up from his book at Hermione. But still, it was brilliance. He could make her fall for him, he had no doubts of his own abilities. Oh, it would be fun to make a toy of the little mudblood. He closed the book softly and smiled, plans filling his head. Maybe if he played the cards right, he could even use her to break up the dream team.   
  
  
United they stand, divided they fall. 


End file.
